Tickets still on sale today for Junkanoo parade

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – As the Boxing Day Junkanoo parade is just hours away, President of the Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP), Silbert Ferguson said persons who are interested in watching the most anticipated cultural event of the year, can still purchase tickets today (Monday) from the JCNP’s Norfolk House location on Frederick Street.

“There are still tickets available in section F but just few, which is in front of Scotia Bank.

“There are still a number of seats in the E section that persons can get and G section.

“We also have lots of seats in the A, B, C and D section, but they are now starting to close out very quickly, so we are asking persons to please go down as early as you can and purchase your tickets. Also purchase your New Year’s tickets at the same time because it is going to be a madhouse for New Years as well,” Ferguson said.

The JCNP president said the Boxing Day and New Year’s Day junkanoo parade promises to be very exciting, and as it now stands, most of the groups are ready to go.

“Our parade management team is putting the final checklist together to make sure that we are ready to go and all systems are a go. I think the last bit of information that we have to get is just the weather forecast,” said Ferguson, who admitted that there is “some” concern about the weather forecast for tomorrow’s parade.

“Once you have a cold front that’s coming in a lot of times it is anticipated that there is water in front of it or water behind it, so we just have to wait for the weather department to give us the last call on that.”

Meanwhile, Ferguson said with the parade just hours away, groups are working to ensure that all of their “ducks are in a row”.

“The important thing is the parade is Christmas night at 10:00 p.m., so everybody is trying to make sure that all of the final touches are being applied to ensure the proper mobilization of each costume.

“A lot of persons don’t understand that these groups have a tremendous responsibility to mobilize these huge costumes on to Bay Street, and so that mobilization takes some 12 hours to get the large pieces on to Bay Street, and then to get their group [members] on to Bay Street right around 5:00 p.m. on Christmas Day.”

Ferguson also addressed the concerns of some Junkanoos who had expressed to Eyewitness News Online that the early start time of the parade at 10:00 p.m. on Christmas Day was cutting into family time.

“We also had the complaint that the parades are going too late on Boxing Day, where the parades were ending at 2:00 p.m. and so the only way to try and avoid that was to try and move the parade back and so I think the best time that we’ve considered, with the help of the general public is 10:00 p.m. This will give us a good feel to see if we conclude around 10:00 a.m. in the morning, and this will give us a good feel of how to move with the time moving forward,” Ferguson said.

First out the starting gate on to Bay Street for Boxing Day is the Music Makers followed by the Saxons Superstars, Genesis, the Valley Boys, the Prodigal Sons, Roots and One Family.

The theme for the Music Makers is “Nature’s Beauty”.

The Shell Saxons Superstars will feature, “Music”.

The Genesis Warhawks will feature, “A journey through wonderland, believe in your dreams”.

The Valley Boys’ theme is “Glitz and Glamour”.

Roots will feature, “Heaven, the angel’s playground”.

And One Family will feature a theme of “the ultra-wow” which will focus on nursery rhymes.